Protective sling coverings are known in the prior art. For example, a clutch pad for a lift sling is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,217 issued to Bryant which comprises multiple fabric plies disposed between a load and a sling for lifting the load, the inner surfaces of the plies having slide permitting means to permit relative sliding motion between the plies and between the load and the sling without the load and the sling being in direct contact. The clutch pads include straps and strap extensions sewn onto and across the ends of the plies to provide means to attach the plies to the sling as by tieing. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,218, also issued to Bryant, tubular clutch pads for lift slings are taught which also permit relative sliding motion between the plies making up the pad and between the load and the sling without the load and the sling being in direct contact.
Such prior art coverings must be manufactured in a multitude of predetermined fixed lengths in order to fit the assorted sizes of slings available in the trade. Thus, the hoist operator must maintain a complete inventory of coverings for each type or size of sling or load to be encountered during the normal course of business. The sling covering manufacturer too must be able to provide this variety to the trade.
Fabric lifting slings are also known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,985,480 issued to Otley and Re. 26,704 issued to Norton disclose such slings which are used to lift or otherwise handle loads which may be easily scratched, marred or defaced. Such slings are, however, not durable enough for extended usage or extremely heavy loads. Once wear is noticed on the contact surfaces of such a sling, it must be replaced with a new sling for fear that the worn surfaces will tear while lifting the load.